Oremus for March 14, 2026

Fannie Lou Hamer, center, with husband Pap, rear, and friends. Photo © Bruce Davidson/Magnum Photos 1970

Fannie Lou Hamer
Fannie Lou Hamer was born in Mississippi in 1917. Throughout her life she was known for her singing of hymns of freedom. During the 1950’s, Hamer became involved in the Civil Rights Movement. She decided to join the effort for voting rights. Hamer was recruited by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and began traveling around the South, singing hymns and doing activist work for the organization. While doing this work she was arrested on a false charge and severely beaten. This experience affected her deeply but did not stop her work for justice for Black people. Her work grew national attention, even disturbing the Southern Democratic Party. Lyndon B Johnson referred to her as “that illiterate woman.” Hamer ran for Congressional office in 1964 and 1965 but failed to win. However, she continued her work for justice until her death on this day in 1977. As she wrote: “I believe that we have just got to keep some kind of faith that the people who want to make this country a good place to live can gain and influence politics in this country.”¹

Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/2p869cdk

Give me justice, O God,
and plead my cause against a nation that is faithless.
From the deceitful and cunning rescue me,
for you, O God, are my strength. Psalm 43

Gracious God,
our sins are too heavy to carry,
too real to hide,
and too deep to undo.
Forgive what our lips tremble to name,
what our hearts can no longer bear,
and what has become for us
a consuming fire of judgment.
Set us free from a past that we cannot change;
open to us a future in which we can be changed;
and grant us grace
to grow more and more in your likeness and image;
through Jesus Christ, the light of the world. Amen. ^BCW

Music: https://tinyurl.com/ufxekitx

God, come to my assistance.
Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

HYMN: Spiritual
Recording: led by Fannie Lou Hamer https://tinyurl.com/vk22c96d

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine!
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine!
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine!
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!

Additional stanzas:
Ev’rywhere I go, I’m gonna let it shine!
I’ve got the light of freedom…
Jesus gave it to me now…
Shine, shine, shine…

PSALMS

Psalm 71 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/ybx8s3ew)
1  In thee, O Lord, have I put my trust,
let me never be put to confusion *
but rid me, and deliver me, in thy righteousness;
incline thine ear unto me, and save me.
2  Be thou my strong hold, whereunto I may alway resort *
thou hast promised to help me,
for thou art my house of defence, and my castle.
3  Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the ungodly *
out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
4  For thou, O Lord God, art the thing that I long for *
thou art my hope, even from my youth.
5  Through thee have I been holden up ever since I was born *
thou art he that took me out of my mother’s womb;
my praise shall be always of thee.
6  I am become as it were a monster unto many *
but my sure trust is in thee.
7  O let my mouth be filled with thy praise *
that I may sing of thy glory and honour all the day long.
8  Cast me not away in the time of age *
forsake me not when my strength faileth me.
9  For mine enemies speak against me,
and they that lay wait for my soul take their counsel together, saying *
God hath forsaken him; persecute him, and take him,
for there is none to deliver him.
10  Go not far from me, O God *
my God, haste thee to help me.
11  Let them be confounded and perish that are against my soul *
let them be covered with shame and dishonour that seek to do me evil.
12  As for me, I will patiently abide alway *
and will praise thee more and more.
13  My mouth shall daily speak of thy righteousness and salvation *
for I know no end thereof.
14  I will go forth in the strength of the Lord God *
and will make mention of thy righteousness only.
15  Thou, O God, hast taught me from my youth up until now *
therefore will I tell of thy wondrous works.
16  Forsake me not, O God, in mine old age, when I am gray-headed *
until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation,
and thy power to all them that are yet for to come.
17  Thy righteousness, O God, is very high *
and great things are they that thou hast done;
O God, who is like unto thee?
18  O what great troubles and adversities hast thou shewed me!
and yet didst thou turn and refresh me *
yea, and broughtest me from the deep of the earth again.
19  Thou hast brought me to great honour *
and comforted me on every side.
20  Therefore will I praise thee and thy faithfulness, O God,
playing upon an instrument of musick *
unto thee will I sing upon the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.
21  My lips will be fain when I sing unto thee *
and so will my soul whom thou hast delivered.
22  My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long *
for they are confounded and brought unto shame
that seek to do me evil.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.

Psalm 72 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/ya9qaxre)
1  Give the King thy judgements, O God *
and thy righteousness unto the King’s son.
2  Then shall he judge thy people according unto right *
and defend the poor.
3  The mountains also shall bring peace *
and the little hills righteousness unto the people.
4  He shall keep the simple folk by their right *
defend the children of the poor, and punish the wrong doer.
5  They shall fear thee, as long as the sun and moon endureth *
from one generation to another.
6  He shall come down like the rain into a fleece of wool *
even as the drops that water the earth.
7  In his time shall the righteous flourish *
yea, and abundance of peace, so long as the moon endureth.
8  His dominion shall be also from the one sea to the other *
and from the flood unto the world’s end.
9  They that dwell in the wilderness shall kneel before him *
his enemies shall lick the dust.
10  The kings of Tharsis and of the isles shall give presents *
the kings of Arabia and Saba shall bring gifts.
11  All kings shall fall down before him *
all nations shall do him service.
12  For he shall deliver the poor when he crieth *
the needy also, and him that hath no helper.
13  He shall be favourable to the simple and needy *
and shall preserve the souls of the poor.
14  He shall deliver their souls from falsehood and wrong *
and dear shall their blood be in his sight.
15  He shall live, and unto him shall be given of the gold of Arabia *
prayer shall be made ever unto him, and daily shall he be praised.
16  There shall be an heap of corn in the earth, high upon the hills *
his fruit shall shake like Libanus,
and shall be green in the city like grass upon the earth.
17  His Name shall endure for ever;
his Name shall remain under the sun among the posterities *
which shall be blessed through him; and all the heathen shall praise him.
18  Blessed be the Lord God, even the God of Israel *
which only doeth wondrous things ;
19  And blessed be the Name of his Majesty for ever *
and all the earth shall be filled with his Majesty. Amen, Amen.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.

Psalm 71 (Gregorian Tone V.1)

1 In you, O Lord, have I put my trust; *
let me never be put to shame.
2 Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness; *
incline your ear to me and save me.
3 Be my rock and my refuge, where I may always return; *
you have promised to help me,
for you are my stronghold and my fortress.
4 Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the ungodly, *
out of the hand of the unrighteous and the cruel.
5 For you, O Lord God, are the one I long for; *
you are my hope, even from my youth.
6 Through you have I been upheld ever since I was born; *
you took me out of my mother’s womb;
my praise shall be always of you.
7 I have become a portent to many; *
but you are my refuge and my strength.
8 O let my mouth be filled with your praise, *
that I may sing of your glory all the day long.
9 Cast me not away in the time of old age; *
forsake me not when my strength fails me.
10 For my enemies speak against me,
and those who lie in wait for my life take counsel together. *
They say, “God has forsaken him;
pursue him and take him, for there is none to deliver him.”
11 Go not far from me, O God; *
my God, make haste to help me.
12 Let those who are my adversaries be confounded and perish; *
let those who seek to do me evil be covered with
shame and dishonor.
13 As for me, I will always patiently abide, *
and will praise you more and more.
14 My mouth shall speak daily
of your righteousness and salvation, *
for I know not the end of them.
15 I will go forth in the strength of the Lord God, *
and will make mention of your righteousness, yours alone.
16 You, O God, have taught me from my youth; *
even to this day I am telling of your wondrous works.
17 Forsake me not, O God,
in my old age, when I am gray-headed, *
until I have proclaimed your strength to this generation,
and your power to all those who are yet to come.
18 Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens; *
you have done great things. Who is like you, O God?
19 Oh, what great troubles and adversities you have shown me!
And yet you have turned and refreshed me; *
indeed, you have brought me again
from the depths of the earth.
20 You have brought me to great honor *
and comforted me on every side;
21 Therefore will I praise you and your faithfulness, O God,
playing on a stringed instrument; *
to you will I sing with the harp, O Holy One of Israel.
22 My lips will rejoice when I sing to you, *
and so will my soul, which you have delivered.
23 My tongue also shall speak of your righteousness all the day long, *
for they are confounded and brought to shame
who seek to do me evil.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.

Psalm 72 (Gregorian Tone V.1)

1 Give the King your judgments, O God, *
and your righteousness to the King’s son.
2 Then shall he judge your people with righteousness *
and defend the poor with justice.
3 The mountains also shall bring peace, *
and the little hills righteousness to the people.
4 He shall vindicate the poor among the people, *
defend the children of the poor, and punish the wrongdoer.
5 They shall fear you as long as the sun and moon endure, *
from one generation to another.
6 He shall come down like the rain upon the mown grass, *
even as showers that water the earth.
7 In his time shall the righteous flourish, *
even an abundance of peace, so long as the moon endures.
8 His dominion shall be also from one sea to the other, *
and from the river unto the world’s end.
9 Those who dwell in the wilderness shall kneel before him; *
his enemies shall lick the dust.
10 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall give presents; *
the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring gifts.
11 All kings shall fall down before him; *
all nations shall do him service.
12 For he shall deliver the poor when he cries, *
the needy also, and the one that has no helper.
13 He shall be favorable to the lowly and needy, *
and shall preserve the lives of the poor.
14 He shall deliver them from falsehood and wrong, *
and dear shall their blood be in his sight.
15 Long may he live! And unto him shall be given the gold of Arabia; *
prayer shall ever be made unto him,
and daily shall he be blessed.
16 There shall be an abundance of grain on the earth,
thick upon the hilltops; *
its fruit shall flourish like Lebanon,
its grain like the grass upon the earth.
17 His Name shall endure for ever;
his Name shall remain as long as the sun. *
All the nations shall be blessed through him
and shall call him blessèd.
18 Blessèd be the Lord God, even the God of Israel, *
who alone does wondrous things;
19 And blessèd be the Name of his majesty for ever; *
and all the earth shall be filled with his majesty. Amen, Amen.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.

PRAYER

God our strong fortress,
do not forsake us in youth or old age.
Help us to follow your will
through all our years and under all circumstances,
that forever we may praise your faithfulness;
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. ^BCW2018

THE WORD OF GOD
READING: Jeremiah 22:13-23
Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness
and his upper rooms by injustice,
who makes his neighbors work for nothing
and does not give them their wages,
who says, “I will build myself a spacious house
with large upper rooms,”
and who cuts out windows for it,
paneling it with cedar
and painting it with vermilion.
Are you a king
because you compete in cedar?
Did not your father eat and drink
and do justice and righteousness?
Then it was well with him.
He judged the cause of the poor and needy;
then it was well.
Is not this to know me?
says the Lord.
But your eyes and heart
are only on your dishonest gain,
for shedding innocent blood,
and for practicing oppression and violence.

Therefore thus says the Lord concerning King Jehoiakim son of Josiah of Judah:

They shall not lament for him, saying,
“Alas, my brother!” or “Alas, sister!”
They shall not lament for him, saying,
“Alas, lord!” or “Alas, his majesty!”
With the burial of a donkey he shall be buried:
dragged off and thrown out beyond the gates of Jerusalem.

Go up to Lebanon and cry out,
and lift up your voice in Bashan;
cry out from Abarim,
for all your lovers are crushed.
I spoke to you in your prosperity,
but you said, “I will not listen.”
This has been your way from your youth,
for you have not obeyed my voice.
The wind shall shepherd all your shepherds,
and your lovers shall go into captivity;
then you will be ashamed and dismayed
because of all your wickedness.
O inhabitant of Lebanon,
nested among the cedars,
how you will groan when pangs come upon you,
pain as of a woman in labor!

HYMN: Traditional
Tune: https://tinyurl.com/4jxepz7r

1 I am a poor pilgrim of sorrow,
I’m tossed in this wide world alone,
No hope have I for tomorrow,
I’ve started to make heav’n my home.
Sometimes I am tossed and driven,
Lord, Sometimes I don’t know where to roam,
I’ve heard of a city called heaven,
I’ve started to make it my home.

2 My mother has reached that pure glory,
My father’s still walkin’ in sin,
My brothers and sisters won’t own me,
Because I am tryin’ to get in.
Sometimes I am tossed and driven,
Lord, Sometimes I don’t know where to roam,
I’ve heard of a city called heaven,
I’ve started to make it my home.

READING: Hebrews 8
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Now the main point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a minister in the sanctuary and the true tent that the Lord, and not any mortal, has set up. For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; hence it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are already those who offer gifts according to the law. They offer worship in a sanctuary that is a sketch and shadow of the heavenly one, just as Moses was warned when he was about to erect the tent. For, God said, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” But Jesus has now obtained a more excellent ministry, and to that degree he is the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on the basis of better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need to look for a second one.

God finds fault with them when he says:

“The days are surely coming, says the Lord,
when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah,
not like the covenant that I made with their ancestors
on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt,
for they did not continue in my covenant,
and so I had no concern for them, says the Lord.
This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
after those days, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their minds
and write them on their hearts,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
And they shall not teach one another
or say to each other, ‘Know the Lord,’
for they shall all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest.
For I will be merciful toward their iniquities,
and I will remember their sins no more.”

In speaking of a new covenant, he has made the first one obsolete, and what is obsolete and growing old will soon disappear.

HYMN: Frederick William Faber
Tune: Corvedale https://tinyurl.com/2awzrhej

1 There’s a wideness in God’s mercy
like the wideness of the sea;
there’s a kindness in his justice,
which is more than liberty.
There is welcome for the sinner,
and more graces for the good;
there is mercy with the Savior;
there is healing in his blood.

2 There is no place where earth’s sorrows
are more felt than up in heaven;
there is no place where earth’s failings
have such kindly judgment given.
There is plentiful redemption
in the blood that has been shed;
there is joy for all the members
in the sorrows of the Head.

3 For the love of God is broader
than the measure of the mind;
and the heart of the Eternal
is most wonderfully kind.
If our love were but more faithful,
we should take him at his word;
and our life would be thanksgiving
for the goodness of the Lord.

READING: Mark 12:18-27
Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no child, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. There were seven brothers; the first married and, when he died, left no children, and the second married the widow and died, leaving no children, and the third likewise; none of the seven left children. Last of all the woman herself died. In the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be? For all seven had married her.”

Jesus said to them, “Is not this the reason you are wrong, that you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God? For when people rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like angels in heaven. And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the story about the bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is God not of the dead but of the living; you are quite wrong.”

CANTICLE Isaiah 12:2-6

Surely, it is God who saves me; *
I will trust in him and not be afraid.
For the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense, *
and he will be my Savior.
Therefore you shall draw water with rejoicing *
from the springs of salvation.
And on that day you shall say, *
Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name;
Make his deeds known among the peoples; *
see that they remember that his Name is exalted.
Sing the praises of the Lord, for he has done great things, *
and this is known in all the world.
Cry aloud, inhabitants of Zion, ring out your joy, *
for the great one in the midst of you is the Holy One of Israel.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.

LITANY OF CONFESSION ^CW:TS

We pray to the Lord for courage to give up other things
and to give ourselves to him this Lent.

Give your Church the courage
to give up her preoccupation with herself
and to give more time to your mission in the world.